The present invention relates to a protective sheath for covering flexible tubes that are customarily used in hydraulic systems of various kinds of equipment, machines and motor vehicles.
As known, the sheaths of the above mentioned kind are used mainly for the purpose of protecting the operatives and the environment in the case of a leakage or jet of oil caused by a failure or defective operation of the flexible tubes.
For attaining this purpose, the sheaths must assure in use an appropriate degree of safety and reliability in order to fulfil the requirements of the hydraulic systems of equipment, machines and motor vehicles which generally operate under very severe conditions as regards the mechanical and thermal stresses and are installed in places subject to the action of water, snow and dirt.
In particular, the sheaths must offer a good resistance to abrasion and flame and have to perform a sealing action in the case of leakage of pressurised oil from the flexible tube on which they are fitted.
Furthermore, the sheaths must contain the fluid stream issuing from the flexible tube in the case of an explosion thereof and they must assure an electrical resistivity similar to that of the tube on which they are fitted.
The conventional sheaths known in the art are adapted for use in operating conditions which mostly do not correspond to those of the user.
The object of the present invention is to provide a protective sheath improved as to its technical and manufactural features and adapted to assure in use a greater safety and reliability than that till now obtainable with the protective sheaths known in the art and available on the market, thereby meeting effectively the utilisation requirements in various operating conditions.